How to Determine Applicable 

Product Safety Standards: 5 Methods 

1. Official Websites 
Information on product safety standards, certification procedures, labeling 
and documentation is publicly available in all developed countries. 
Although we’ve seen major improvements in the last few years, many 
government websites are still difficult for the uninitiated to navigate. 

Assuming you manage to find what you’re looking for, it’s often even more 
difficult to interpret the information and apply it to your business. That 
being said, these government websites serve as a good introduction to 
understanding the basics. 

United States 

The CPSC, FDA, FCC and other US Government Agencies operate their own 
separate websites. As such, there is no official one-stop-shop for product 
regulatory information in the United States. Therefore, importers and 
manufacturers are required to search for information across various 
websites to get a complete picture. 

CPSC 
● Products: Toys and children’s products, consumer products, 
household products 
● Website: w
​ ww.cpsc.gov 

 
FCC 
● Products: Electronics 
● Website: w
​ ww.fcc.gov 

FDA 
● Products: Food contact materials, medical devices 
● Website: w
​ ww.fda.gov 

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

● Information: Labeling requirements, other 
● Website: w
​ ww.ftc.gov 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection 

● Information: General importing requirements 
● Website: w
​ ww.cbp.gov 

ASTM 
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is not a government 
website, but an organization developing product standards for consumer 
products in the United States. While ASTM standards are normally 
voluntary, they serve as a reference point for importers and 
manufacturers. 

That said, some US product regulations, including CPSIA, require 

compliance with ASTM. 

● Information: ASTM standards database 

 
 ● Website: w
​ ww.astm.org 

UL 

Underwriter Laboratories (UL) develop product standards for electronics 

sold in the United States. Similar to ASTM.org, you’ll find a database of UL 
standards on their website that can also be purchased. 

● Information: UL standards database 

● Website: u
​ lstandards.ul.com 

European Union 
The European Union’s official website (ec.europa.eu) provides free and 
accessible information concerning CE marking, food contact materials, 
REACH and other product regulations. 

That said, questions related to EU product regulations and EN standards 

can only be sent to national authorities in charge of product safety and 
chemicals compliance. 

● CE Marking 
● REACH 
● Food Contact Materials 

   

 
Australia 
Product Safety Australia 
Productsafety.gov.au​ is the go-to website for Australian importers looking 
for information on mandatory standards covering the following product 
categories: 

● Textiles 
● Toys 
● Children’s products 
● Baby products 
● Helmets 
● Bicycles 
● Furniture and home products 
● Fitness equipment 
● Sunglasses 
● Vehicle equipment 

EESS 

The Electrical Equipment Safety System (EESS) website (www.eess.gov.au) 

provides information on mandatory electrical safety and EMC standards in 
Australia. 

● RCM mark 
● Steps for compliance 
● Safety criteria 
● EESS registration process 

 
Standards Australia 
Standards.org.au is a searchable database listing all AS/NZS standards 
developed by Standards Australia. Here you can find both mandatory and 
voluntary AS/NZS standards, ISO standards and IEC standards for all 
product categories. 

2. Product Compliance Platforms 

ProductIP.com 
ProductIP.com is an online platform helping importers, exporters and 
manufacturers ensure compliance with EU product regulations. You can 
search thousands of products from within their platform, and access 
detailed requirements lists: 

● List of EN standards and other regulations 

● List of required (and optional) documents 
● List of required (and optional) labels 

ProductIP.com is easy to use and affordable, even for small businesses. It’s 
really a no brainer for any business looking to sell in the European Union. 

Platform Features 

● Requirements lists 
● Technical file manager 
● Compliance reviews 
● Chemicals management 

 
 ● Label checks 

CE-check.eu 

CE-check.eu a digital all-in-one solution helping importers, exporters and 

manufacturers to ensure compliance with CE marking directives. Not only 
can this platform help you in assessing mandatory CE directives and EN 
standards, but also the actual implementation of the CE compliance 
procedure. 

They have various small business-friendly pricing plans, and even a free 
version. 

Platform Features 

● Free version 
● Identifying CE Directives and Standards 
● CE Compliance Assessment 
● Creating a Technical file 
● Creating a Declaration of Conformity 

   

 
3. Product Testing Companies 
Product testing companies can only offer a quotation once they have 
assessed applicable product regulations for a certain product. In addition, 
they also tend to list all required tests as part of the quotation. 

Quotation Sample 

While they obviously charge for lab testing, the quotation is always free. In 
other words, asking for a lab test quotation is the closest thing you’ll get to 
a free compliance assessment. 

This is what you need to provide before requesting a quotation 

● Product type 
● Category 
● Product image (recommended) 
● Age group 

 
 ● Manufacturing country 
● Consumer country 

List of testing companies 

● Bureau Veritas 
● SGS 
● Intertek 
● TUV 
● QIMA 

4. Compliance Consultants 
While a list of product standards and corresponding tests is a good start, it 
doesn’t do much to help you understand how the practical compliance 
process works. 

Making a product compliant in practice requires an understanding of 

technical safety requirements, how to create correct label files and 
documentation, and even production facility requirements. 

While online platforms and government websites can take you a long way, 
support from a professional is often the only thing it takes to connect the 
dots. 

Here’s how a consultant can help you 

1. Confirm applicable product safety standards 

 
2. Create label files and documentation 

3. Technical/design product compliance review 

4. Book lab test 

5. Factory audit (e.g. GMP) 

5. Amazon Seller Central 

Planning to sell on Amazon? Then you should take a close look at the 
Amazon seller central to find which standards and other requirements 
apply to your product. Amazon requires that all products sold on its 
platform are compliant with mandatory regulations in each respective 
market. 

That said, Amazon sets the bar even higher for some products, meaning 
that additional requirements, such as ISO 9001 factory certification, is 
required.